Ranma Trigger
by ContraBardus
Summary: Ranma discovers the perils of time travel...
1. Default Chapter

Ranma Trigger  
  
Part 1  
  
Too late, or too early?  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ranma Saotome sat on the rooftop of the Tendo Dojo, he had a small frown on his face as he looked out over the small burg's rooftops and saw nothing. The sky was clear, his enemies were elsewhere, and he was alone. Which was precisely the point of his being up where he was.  
  
It was a cool autumn day; the leaves were turning colors and filling the gutters and yards. Everything was quite peaceful and beautiful. Things hadn't changed much over the course of time, well, not the important things anyway.   
  
His parents were still as pushy as ever, Akane still had a bad temper, and people still carried on as before. "Things have changed," he amended to himself. He shook his head and stood up, staring even deeper into the endless sea of homes. "Akane, she's changed. Ryoga isn't trying to kill me as hard as he used too; even Mousse has slacked off. I've got new friends, even new enemies." He smirked as he thought about it, the way it his life had taken a turn over the past two years.   
  
Ranma wasn't what you'd call a smart person, he was a genius in his own way, but he wasn't what you'd call intelligent about most things. Socially, he was completely inept, although that too had changed over time. He'd improved, although not much. However, after a lifetime of training, visiting temples, dojo, and assorted training grounds, he'd finally found a use for his skills.   
  
The truth all told, other than a few out of the ordinary incidents when he was younger, his life before Nerima had been quite boring. Constant drilling, training, meditating in temples with monks twenty to thirty years his senior, and that was just the youngest of them. Only one memorable fried to speak of in his entire life, and he hadn't known her as well as he'd thought.   
  
Now, he lived. Life had a way of making up for missed time, and Ranma Saotome loved it. He chuckled as he stared into the sky again, watching a particularly strong wind blow a few fallen leaves through the sky high above him. "She loves me, I know it now. My feelings are as clear as that too." He smirked to himself as the wind ripped through his silk shirt, the sunlight warming his skin despite the sudden chill of the wind. "It will all be over soon, I wish it could go on forever though." His face became somewhat wistful at that thought.   
  
"Running the dojo, raising a family...it's my life in the future. I know it is, and yet..." He turned his head and closed his eyes. "Maybe it'll be an adventure all it's own?" In his heart he knew it was a different kind of challenge, something new that all the training in the world couldn't prepare him for. Still, the thrill of facing a demigod, fighting toe to toe with a half man half dragon...the memories he treasured, even the painful ones. Would they be enough to keep his sanity over the course of time? He watched a cloud pass over his head, blocking out the sunlight for a moment. In his mind Akane's face on the day he'd met her flashed for the briefest of moments. "I think they will."   
  
+++++++++++  
  
Happosai chuckled to himself as he looked down at the mirror in his hand for a moment. "At last, I've finally fixed it!" He cackled evilly as he brandished the ancient Chinese artifact in the air. It appeared to have been duct-taped back together rather messily.  
  
"Now, where do I want to go this time? Hmmm..." thought the old man with a small chuckle of greed.   
  
He pondered this for a moment and frowned. "Hmmm... I could go back and steal that ungrateful boy from Genma, and make sure he respects me properly. Nah, I don't feel like raising some ill-mannered brat. What else?"  
  
The old man put his hand behind his back with the mirror in his grasp and started walking while he thought. "Hmmm..."  
  
He walked into the hallway and sighed. "Well darn. I can't think of one stupid place I want to go. All that trouble to fix this stupid thing for nothing."  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Outside, hidden away in the shadows, an unfamiliar figure stared at the scene in front of him. "There it is, that hellish thing." He hissed angrily, and his voice was distorted. He was dressed in black Chinese style clothing, and had a wooden Noh mask covering his face. His black hair was cropped short against the back of his neck and his eyes glared hatefully into the living room of the Tendo dojo. "It's time."  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Happosai frowned as he noticed the figure standing in front of him. He looked to be young, his build was slim and strong, and he had a tight angry sound to his distorted voice.  
  
"Old man, I've come..."  
  
"Who are you?" snapped the troll angrily as he lobbed a round object at the intruder.  
  
The man swats it aside and frowned deeply. "None of your concern! Give me that mirror!"  
  
"What?" snapped Happosai. The object in his hand's value jumped leaps and bounds inside his own mind now that someone else wanted it. His greedy nature took over and he sneered at the figure. "What would you want this thing for I wonder?" He raised it over his head and peered at it.  
  
The figure remained calmly and simply stared at him coldly. "That is my business. You'll regret it if you don't give it to me now."  
  
Happosai chuckled and twirled it on his finger carelessly. "Why on Earth would I do that?"  
  
"Who you talkin to you old freak?" said Ranma as he strolled into the room and froze. "Who the?"  
  
The figure turned to look at him for a moment. "Ranma Saotome."  
  
"Who the heck are you?" snapped the boy angrily.  
  
"Yeah, who the heck are ya?" agreed Happosai as he looked back and fourth between the pair.  
  
"It doesn't matter!" snarled the masked man as he dove at Happosai grabbing for the mirror.  
  
Happosai jumped to avoid the clumsy strike, but found himself knocked out of the air by a kick the maneuver had hidden away from view. He slammed into the wall and rubbed his bald spot as the man rolled across the ground and charged forward again.  
  
"What the heck?" muttered Ranma dumbly as he stared at the scene for a moment.  
  
"You'll pay for that!" snarled Happosai.  
  
"You'll die old man! Give me the mirror!" snarled the man hatefully.  
  
Happosai jumped to avoid another strike, but was caught by surprise again, this time a feinted punch that slammed into his gut. Happosai squeaked in surprise and pain as he found himself sprawled out across the ground again, but he had managed to hang on to the mirror.   
  
"Damn you old man! Give me that mirror!" snarled the man.  
  
Ranma jumped into action, Happosai was down, and this mystery man wasn't playing around. "Hey! What's this about?"  
  
"Stay back! You don't know what you're doing!" cried the man angrily as he lashed out with a kick that the boy had to bend over backwards to dodge.   
  
"Whoa!" cried Ranma in shock at the sheer speed displayed. "No! No way!"  
  
"You're outclassed boy! Stay out of the way! I only want the old man!" snarled the angry man as he glared at Happosai.  
  
"What the heck have you done now old freak?!" snapped Ranma angrily as he turned to look at Happosai.  
  
"An opening!" cried the man as he dashed forward as Happosai turned to reply.  
  
The old man's eyes went wide and he slowly looked down at his chest. A small knife was stuck into his heart up to the hilt. The masked figure lifted him up off the ground and shoved him against the wall, taking the mirror into his grasp.  
  
"Ha! I've done it! It's mine!" snarled the masked figure as he gripped the artifact in his hand.  
  
"That mirror!" gasped Ranma as he recognized it, suddenly what had just happened hit him like a brick wall. "NOO! OLD MAN!"  
  
"Eh?" said the figure in confusion as he turned to look at the angry boy. Tears fell from his eyes as he charged, the angry snarl on his face gave away his complete rage and fear.  
  
The masked figure was completely shocked by the reaction and managed to dodge a punch that leveled the wall. "What? He's angry?"   
  
"You killed him!" cried Ranma.  
  
The figure was backing away slowly, the mirror held firmly in his grip. "So I have, what does it matter? He was evil, you hated him. You should be happy about this."  
  
"Bastard!" cried Ranma as he bounced off the wall and shot forward like a bullet.  
  
"Fool! You're no match for me!" cried the masked man angrily.  
  
"Oh my!" gasped a familiar voice. Kasumi stepped out of the back yard and stared at the scene in shock.   
  
The masked man turned to look at her for a moment, surprise evident in his eyes. "Kasumi?" he muttered to himself as the boy slammed into him. "No! My guard!" he muttered as pain exploded across his chest.  
  
He staggered back under the force of Ranma's Amaguriken honed speed. His eyes becoming a flood of rage. "No!"  
  
The mirror landed on the ground between them and fell at Happosai's feet. The old man was slowly dying, despite the wound to his heart. He gasped as he reached out for the artifact and touched it gently with his fingers. "I want...I want to go..."  
  
"Ranma! Look out!" cried Akane. She had just walked into the house from the dojo, attracted by the noise.  
  
Both of the men turned to look at her in confusion. "Look out? But I'm not..." muttered the mask man as he tried to comprehend.  
  
"Take me back, to better times," laughed Happosai deliriously as he gripped the mirror. A single drop of blood fell from his lips as he stared into the surface.  
  
"NO!" cried the masked man in shock as he found himself staring at a flash of light. He raised his arms in defense and gasped in horror. "I didn't...I wasn't..."  
  
"Who are you? What just happened?" screamed Akane angrily. "What have you done with Ranma."  
  
"Heh." said the man as he stared at the girl for a moment. "I haven't done anything to him. He's been pulled back in time, and I'm going to follow him. My job is harder now Akane, but still far from impossible."  
  
"What?" said the girl in confusion.  
  
"Do you ever wonder, just how far Ranma Saotome will go for you Akane?" asked the man with a snort.  
  
"What?" asked the girl.  
  
"Time will tell," said the man as he chuckled again. "Goodbye..."  
  
Akane blinked in confusion, the man faded away right in front of her. He had said something else as he vanished, but she couldn't make out what it was.  
  
"Maybe forever?" she muttered as the movements of his lips filtered into her mind. "What does that mean?"  
  
++++++++++++++++  
  
"What the? Where am I?" muttered Ranma as he stood up and shook his head. He was lying in a soft patch of moss, the dead body of Happosai lying next to him in the dirt. He gasped and grabbed the little old man by his shoulders and shook him. "Hey! Wake up! Where are we? Come on old man! Don't..."  
  
"He's dead."  
  
Ranma froze, he slowly turned around and gasped. "You! Where are we?"  
  
"I'm not sure," said the figure calmly. "I was set on finding you, not really paying much attention to where we went."  
  
Ranma growled and stepped back into a defensive stance. "Stay back you murderer!"  
  
The man chuckled and stared at him for a moment, seeming to contemplate his problem. "We don't have to fight now you know. I've got what I want. Just go back, take the mirror and send us back. Then I'll leave, and take it with me. It won't ever trouble you again."  
  
"What?" said the boy in confusion. "The hell!" He grabbed the mirror and stuffed it into his shirt. "Ain't no way I'm gonna let you get your hands on this thing!"  
  
"Oh really?" said the man as he pulled a familiar object from his shirt. "Even if I've already killed you and taken it from you before?"  
  
Ranma froze, his jaw hanging down as he stared at the object in the stranger's hand. "What? No way! It ain't true!"  
  
"You caused me all sorts of trouble before, now I'm offering you the chance to just walk away from your own death. How does that sound boy?"  
  
"It ain't true!" snarled Ranma angrily as he rocked back onto his heels and put his fists up.  
  
"Isn't it?" said the man coldly. "You have no idea what you're getting into boy. If you do, you'll fail. The proof of this is in the palm of my hand."  
  
Ranma snarled defiantly. "I don't lose to nobody!"  
  
"Who ever said anything about you losing? Still, is the victory worth your own life? Even though you don't even know what it is you're fighting for?"  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to speak and stopped. "You killed the freak. I can't let you get away with that!"  
  
"I had my reasons," replied the man with a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"You bastard!" snarled Ranma as he stepped back warily. He had almost charged forward, but noticed the slight motion of the man's body to defend, to defend against the very attack he was about to use.   
  
"Surprised? I've done this before, have you?" asked the man coldly.  
  
"What?" gasped Ranma in shock. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"I am Chronos, all time is at my whim, but the one moment I truly desire has eluded me for twenty years. All that stands between me and that moment now, is you boy."  
  
Ranma growled and glanced around into the woods.   
  
"Thinking of running? It won't work," said the man coldly.  
  
Ranma snorted and jumped straight up into the branches of a nearby tree. With that done, he vanished.  
  
"No!" Chronos gasped in shock. The boy had never fled from him before. "It's...Noooo!" He clutched at his head and growled in frustration as he searched around desperately. Ranma Saotome was gone, and the mirror was with him.  
  
The man turned with an aura of power flowing across his body as he glared down at the dead body that was now cooling on the ground at his feet. "Damn you old man. Do you have any idea what you've just done?"  
  
Happosai had no answer, the blood mostly drained from his body now.  
  
"Now, I must kill. If only you'd listened before. I'm tired of going back and trying to end this early. Nothing I've tried has worked yet, now...I'll just have to make sure he fails."  
  
++++++++++++  
  
Ranma dashed through the tree tops, the cloak of the Umisenken keeping him hidden from view. He knew he could have attacked the man using the techniques, but first he had to clear his head.   
  
He paused to rest against a tree, breathing heavily as he caught his breath and waited in silence. It was a hot day, the sun was bright in the sky, but hidden away by the thick branches of the forest that surrounded him. He sighed and looked down at the path that was just below him, it appeared to be a road of some kind, he could see the tracks of oxen, horses and wagons in the dirt below. It also appeared to be well traveled.  
  
"Where the heck am I anyway?" he muttered to himself dumbly. He went silent suddenly as the sound of travelers came from a short distance ahead. "Wha?"  
  
"Noo!" cried a young voice. A girl rushed by below on horseback, she appeared to be about sixteen years old, and was dressed in old style clothing.   
  
"Bitch! After her!" cried several male voices behind her. The thunder of their horses' hooves rumbled the ground below and he narrowed his eyes at the scene. "What the heck?"  
  
"No! Help!" cried the girl's voice as it faded away.  
  
Ranma turned and tensed his legs, he faced the direction they had gone too and jumped after them in the treetops.  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
Miyaka was frightened, desperate, and trapped. "No! It can't be!" She had run the way she had come for a reason, hoping to escape her captors across the bridge that once crossed the gorge that spread out before her; The bridge that was no longer there. "No! It can't be!"  
  
She started to turn around, looking for any escape, but instead found her pursuers surrounding her. "No! I...oh god no!"  
  
The men all leered at her, disgusting and unhealthy looking men. One of them had a red mark on his face. He glared at her angrily and smirked. "Ya shouldn't have run, ya shouldn't have hit me, and ya certainly shouldn't have turned me down bitch. Now you'll pay, and then I'll drag you off and sell yer worthless hide for the use of other men."  
  
The girl shuddered in horror, her horse jerking back and fourth violently from side to side.  
  
The man approached and the horse reared back sending her tumbling off his back and onto the dirt. It nervously trotted aside and continued to pace around, trapped by the circle of men.  
  
"Kill that damn beast and be done with it!" snapped the man angrily as he turned his head back and snapped at his men. An arrow was drawn from one of the men's back and notched into a bow.   
  
"Got it boss!" said the man cheerfully.  
  
"No!" screamed the girl with tears flowing down her face.  
  
The ugly man's smirk widened enormously. "Do it slowly. Shoot it's legs out first, and then make it bleed to death."  
  
"Right," snorted the man in reply as he aimed his bow.  
  
"I wouldn't recommend that," said a cold voice.  
  
The man gasped in shock, staring at the empty bow in his hands stupidly. "What the?"  
  
Ranma Saotome jumped into the center of the crowd of men and landed lightly, his eyes cold and hard as he glared at all of them. "You're going to leave her alone."  
  
"Oni!" gasped some of the man in shock as they stared at the boy. He had appeared out of nothing in front of them. "He's come to swallow our souls and gorge himself on our bellies!"  
  
"Eh?" muttered the lead man as he simply looked at his companions in confusion. He had missed the boy's entrance, and only saw a boy standing in front of him. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Ranma Saotome," replied the boy coldly.  
  
"Never heard of you," snorted the man.  
  
"Too bad," replied the boy with a shrug as his foot lashed out and slammed into the man's face. He was sent flying into the woods and vanished into the darkness of the woods. Thick branches and bushes were torn away in his passing, and Ranma simply stood calmly watching him fly away.  
  
The boy turned to look at the rest of the men, and the clearing was filled with the sound of half-drawn weapons and gasps of terror as he leveled his eyes on them.   
  
"Why are you still here?"  
  
The men took the hint and rushed off, many of them screaming in terror.  
  
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "Losers." He turned his attention to the girl and smiled. "Hey. Are you all right I..."  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Please don't eat me Oni-sama!"  
  
"Huh?" said Ranma as he simply stood there and stared at her for a moment.  
  
"I just wanna go home! Please don't hurt me! I'm just a young girl...I'm not even a virgin!"  
  
"You're not?" said the boy. Mostly because he didn't have a clue about what was going on right now.  
  
"Oh, all right. I am, but I promise I won't taste very good! I mean, virgins don't really taste better do they? I'm covered in fat too! I mean look at me! I'm flabby! Unless...you're one of those types who likes to eat the fat. Then I'm scrawny and all bones and no meat!"   
  
Ranma hadn't moved yet and simply stared at the girl, unable to speak or move.   
  
"I knew I'd find you here," said a cold voice from the shadows that snapped Ranma out of his stupor. "What the?"  
  
Chronos stepped out of the woods, his mask still hiding his features as he glared down at the pair. "It's too late, you can't escape. I'll just destroy you both now!"  
  
Ranma cursed and moved into a combat stance. "Shit!"  
  
"Are you ready to fail Ranma Saotome?" said the man with a small chuckle as he stepped back into a defensive stance.  
  
Ranma growled. "You won't beat me!" He shifted his stance again for the third time, each time Chronos followed with a stance to counter the new one. "You're pathetic."  
  
"Bastard!" snarled Ranma.  
  
"What? You're not going to run again?" said Chronos with a small chuckle. "It's your only option. This is the battle where I acquired my mirror after all. You can't possibly win."  
  
"You said I didn't lose either," countered Ranma with a smirk of his own.  
  
"Ask yourself again, if it's really worth your life," snarled the man hatefully.   
  
Ranma moved in front of the girl as she sat there sobbing on the ground. She was staring at the pair in horror.  
  
"No! Now I've got two Oni fighting over who's gonna eat me!" she squealed in horror. "I'm so unlucky!"  
  
"Don't bother trying to protect her boy, I'm only interested in you," said the man calmly as he glared at his opponent.  
  
Ranma snorted and shifted his stance again. "Right."  
  
Chronos chuckled and dashed forward, his arm extended in a strike.  
  
"What?" gasped Ranma in shock.  
  
The man was trying to attack the girl, when he dropped his guard on her Chronos went straight for her. "I have you bitch!"  
  
"No!" screamed Ranma as he dove down at the girl.  
  
"Fool! The cliff!" cried the masked man as he stopped his momentum suddenly and jumped upright. He paused and simply watched for a moment before turning away in disgust. "This is getting out of hand all over again!"  
  
+++++++++++  
  
The next sensation Ranma Saotome had was falling through the air. The girl in his arms was screaming, tears flowing down her face as she clutched him for her life. "There's nothing to land on!" he though in desperation as he looked down at the drop. Not even he could survive a fall from this height.  
  
"Damn it! I gotta do something!" his mind screamed as the ground neared.   
  
He gasped and fumbled in his shirt. "The mirror!" he cried as he jerked it out violently, ripping his collar in the process. With a quick motion, he held the mirror just above the crying girl's head.   
  
There was a flash of light, and then...they were gone.  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
Miyaka was simply staring at the boy as he lay on the pavement. It was cracked underneath his back from the impact and his eyes were tightly closed. The landing had hurt, but now they both appeared to be all right, or at least, she was. "Are you hurt?"  
  
"Ouch," muttered the pigtailed boy as he sat up and rubbed at the back of his head. "What hit me?"  
  
"The ground did," replied the girl with a small shrug. She paused and glanced around for a moment, her jaw hanging down in shock. "No! We're dead! I'm too young to die!"  
  
"Huh? We ain't dead," said Ranma dumbly.  
  
"We...we're not?" muttered the girl as she looked at him.  
  
"Heck no. This is Nerima," said the boy as he glanced around. "Hey. I'm home!"  
  
"That's nice, but..." said the girl as she glanced around. "Oh! Oh no! You've taken me to the underworld haven't you! You're going to force me to be your new concubine! Is that it? WAAAAAAAHHHHH!"   
  
Ranma simply stared at her for a moment and frowned. "What the heck is wrong with this chick?"  
  
"Please be gentle with me! I'm only human, and I'm delicate!"  
  
"What the heck are you talkin about! I ain't no stupid Oni! They got horns and stuff, and they wear those stupid tiger pants, and..."  
  
The girl blinked at this. "You're not an Oni?"  
  
"Heck no!"  
  
"What about a Tengu?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Ummm...Lesser god?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Shrine spirit?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"I know! A river spirit!"  
  
"Stop that!"  
  
"What are you then?"  
  
Ranma sighed and hung his head. "I'm just a guy."  
  
"Oh," said the girl in confusion. "Where are we again?"  
  
"Nerima, I live here," said the boy flatly.  
  
"What's Nerima?"  
  
"This is Nerima."  
  
"I'm confused."  
  
"You're tellin me?" Ranma finally threw his hands into the air and sighed. "Okay, look. I got this magic mirror from an old guy. It takes people through time and stuff. So, since the old man took us somewhere, you're probably from the past."  
  
"What?" said the girl dumbly.  
  
"This is the present. I mean, um...it's the future and stuff. No big deal."  
  
"Oh, so in the future, men have to go back in time to steal wives?"  
  
"ARRRGGGHHH! I didn't, you're not my wife! Damn it! I've got enough problems with stuff like that as it is!"  
  
"Then why am I here?" said the girl as she hung her head and blushed.  
  
"Because I couldn't think of another way to save us from that fall. Look, I'll just get the mirror, and we'll go back."  
  
"Oh, you don't mean this mirror do you?" said the girl as she pointed at the ground.  
  
The mirror was sitting on the ground in five large pieces.  
  
Ranma simply stared at it with a tear forming in his eyes. "Why me?"  
  
"I wanna go home," said the girl as she started getting teary eyed again.  
  
"Look. I promise I'll get ya home, we just gotta find a way to fix this stupid thing."  
  
The girl blinked at this and stared at him. "Um, okay."  
  
"Jeez, what is she? Some kinda water faucet? Even Old man Tendo ain't this bad!" thought Ranma in irritation.  
  
"Anyway, where the heck are we?" he muttered to himself as he glanced around.  
  
"I thought you said you knew?!" cried the girl in horror.  
  
"No, I know where we are!" he cried in an effort to pacify her.  
  
"But you just said..."  
  
"I meant I need to know which way to go from here!" he said desperately.  
  
"Oh," said the girl with a small shrug. "Okay."  
  
Ranma looked around and blinked. "Hey. We're there already."  
  
He knew the place well enough, it was the street, he was positive of it. He turned around to face the gates of the Tendo Dojo and froze.  
  
In front of him, was a small apartment complex.  
  
"What the? I'm sure it's here," he muttered as he scratched his head in confusion. He looked around again, thinking he must have made a mistake. Sure enough, everything was exactly where it was when he had left. Even the neighbor's garbage was still knocked over. It had the same dent in the side. He looked up at the building in front of him and frowned. "What the heck is going on here? Where? Oh man! Now what?"  
  
"Are you sure you're not lost?" asked the girl as she realized he was becoming frustrated.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Okay, but are you sure you're not an Oni?"  
  
Ranma hung his head in defeat. "Why me?"  
  
+++++++++++  
  
TBC...  
  
DAMN IT! I should have known better. Playing video games is bad for my muse. Damn hyperactive bastard.  
  
Basically, I took some of the ideas from Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross and came up with an idea for a Ranma story. I wouldn't call it a Crossover, this is a fusion. No characters will be appearing in this fic that were in the games. I'm not even sure if I'd call this a fusion either, but I digress.  
  
Ain't time travel a bitch?  
  
This'll get more confusing, but then it'll get better at the end as everything makes sense. Ranma's got a new enemy, plus that's not the only problem he's gonna have to deal with. To say nothing of figuring out what the hell happened to the Tendo Dojo, and how everyone else in his life relates to him now.  
  
But wait! There's more!  
  
What the hell is he gonna do about this new chick? Where is he gonna stay now? What the hell about fixing that mirror?  
  
  



	2. Chrono2

Ranma Trigger  
  
Part 2  
  
The life of Ranma Saotome  
  
++++++++++++++  
  
"So, what's yer name?" Ranma looked at the  
girl who stood beside him and gave a weak smile as  
they sat on the steps of the apartment complex  
where the Tendo dojo should have been. No one  
inside had ever heard the name before.  
  
"Miyaka Hotori," replied the girl  
uncomfortably. She was hugging herself and had a  
saddened look in her eyes. After a moment of  
silence, she spoke again. "Ranma, what's going to  
happen now?"  
  
"Well, I guess I'll have to find you a way  
home," he replied with a small shrug.  
  
"This place, it was your home?"  
  
Ranma nodded, frustration clearly written  
across his face.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I dunno," he responded quietly. "It's  
just...gone."  
  
"We should find out what happened," replied  
the girl with a small sigh. "You saved my life. I  
wouldn't go back until I was sure everything was  
all right."  
  
The boy nodded at this and smirked slightly.  
"Yeah, I guess we should. Where do we start  
though?"  
  
"Well, everything else is the same right?"  
  
"Hey! You're right, I'll bet that old ghoul is  
here, maybe she might know something."  
  
"What about your parents?" said the girl in  
confusion. She didn't like the sound of going to  
see some ghoul. "Are you sure you're not an Oni?"  
  
"Yes? Why do you keep askin me that?" he  
snapped irritably.  
  
The girl started to tear up at his tone and  
stared at him cutely. "You just said we were going  
to see some ghoul!"  
  
"Oh, that. She's just some old lady from China  
I know. This mirror used to be hers, before it got  
stolen a long time ago." Ranma lifted the small  
cloth bag that now held the remains of the mirror  
inside it.  
  
"Oh," replied the girl with a small sigh of  
relief. "You should respect your elders more  
though."  
  
"I'll respect that old bat when she earns it,"  
he replied simply as he stood up. "Come on. It's  
late, we should get going."  
  
"Right," said the girl with a small sigh.  
  
++++++++++  
  
A short time later, the pair found themselves  
walking through Nerima. It had just gotten dark  
and most of the businesses were still open.  
  
"It should be right around here," said the boy  
as he nodded in the direction they were heading.  
  
"Sure," said the girl nervously.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?" snapped an  
angry sounding voice from behind the pair.  
  
"Huh?" muttered Ranma dumbly as he turned to  
see a girl standing in the street behind them. She  
was tapping her heel on the asphalt and glaring  
directly at him. The girl was wearing a rather  
plain looking skirt and a turtle neck sweater.  
"Um. Do I know you?" he said in confusion.  
  
"What?" she snapped as she almost blew her  
top. "You jackass! How dare you say something like  
that to me!"  
  
Ranma paled as recognition hit him like a ton  
of bricks. "Ucchan?"  
  
"Don't Ucchan me! You've been gone all day!  
I've been worried sick about you!" cried the girl  
angrily as she walked up to the pair.  
  
"Ranma, who is this?" said Miyaka as she  
looked back and fourth between the pair.  
  
"This is..."  
  
"Who the hell is this?" snapped Ukyo as she  
turned her attention on the girl beside him.  
  
"Her name is Miyaka, she's from the past,"  
said the boy dumbly.  
  
"The past?" muttered Ukyo as she looked at him  
again, her anger somewhat abated. "Has something  
happened again?"  
  
"Oh boy," said the pigtailed boy as he  
scratched the back of his head.  
  
"Who are you?" said Ukyo as she stared at the  
girl for a moment, distrust clearly visible on her  
face.  
  
"My name is Miyaka, Ranma saved me from some  
bandits, and this weird guy attacked us. He  
brought me back with him when he came..."  
  
"Well, that would explain where he's been,"  
said Ukyo with a small sigh. "Can't you stay out  
of trouble?"  
  
"Um, I'm sorry to be a bother, but who are  
you?" said Miyaka as she continued to look just as  
confused as ever.  
  
"I'm his wife," said Ukyo as she glared at  
Ranma. "You did tell her about me didn't you?"  
  
Ranma passed out cold on the ground.  
  
"Oh, I didn't know he was married. I suppose  
he didn't bring me here to be his concubine then.  
I'm so relieved." Miyaka paused and looked down at  
the boy's body for a moment. "What's wrong with  
him?"  
  
"I'll make you a list if you have a couple of  
years," said Ukyo with a rough sounding snort as  
she hefted him over her shoulder.  
  
"Oh my!" responded the girl with a blush on  
her face.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
"Tendo Dojo?" said Ukyo as she blinked in  
confusion. "I've never heard of that place." She  
was standing behind a small grill and making  
dinner for them. Three Okonomiyaki were set out in  
front of them within a few seconds.  
  
"What's this?" said Miyaka in confusion.  
  
"Okonomiyaki. What, they don't have this where  
you're from?"  
  
The girl poked at it with her chopsticks and  
frowned. "No."  
  
"Well, you're in for a treat then," replied  
Ukyo cheerfully.  
  
"If you say so," responded Miyaka as she  
started eating. Within a few seconds she was  
eagerly gulping down the substance.  
  
"Still out cold," grumbled Ukyo as she lifted  
her husband's head off the counter where he was  
slumped over one of the stools and dropped it back  
down again.  
  
  
"He said something about living in a place  
called the Tendo Dojo. He never mentioned this  
place," offered Miyaka cheerfully.  
  
Ranma groaned and finally lifted up his head  
again. "Ooh, where am I?"  
  
"What the hell is this Tendo place?" snapped  
Ukyo angrily.  
  
"Ucchan?" said Ranma as he stared at her  
again. "Why the heck are you wearin a skirt?"  
  
"What the hell else would I wear?" snapped the  
girl as she hit him over the head with a large  
spatula that had been hanging on the wall.  
  
"A yukata?" offered Miyaka. "This is too  
weird."  
  
"Well, for this idiot, it's normal," replied  
Ukyo with a small sigh. She looked somewhat  
wistful and smiled lovingly at her husband's head.  
"I guess I can put up with it though."  
  
"He does things like this all the time?" asked  
Miyaka in disbelief.  
  
"Well, to tell the truth, he is acting a bit  
strange. It's almost like he didn't recognize me  
at all." Ukyo got a worried looking frown on her  
face.  
  
"Akane," muttered Ranma as he lifted his head  
off the counter.  
  
"WHO THE HELL IS AKANE?" screamed Ukyo as she  
belted him again.  
  
"He's not going to answer if you keep knocking  
him out," pointed out Miyaka.  
  
Ukyo blushed as she lifted the huge spatula  
off his head and put it back on the wall again. "I  
guess you're right."  
  
After a few seconds Ranma shook his head again  
and sat up, jumping away from the counter before  
he could be hit again. "What the hell is goin on  
here?"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know," growled Ukyo  
as she glared at him.  
  
"You're dressin like a girl all of a sudden?  
Where the heck is Konatsu?"  
  
"Konatsu? We haven't seen him since he left. I  
kind of miss him," said Ukyo with a small frown.  
  
"Left?" asked Ranma in confusion. "When did he  
leave?"  
  
"He was only here for like a month," said Ukyo  
in disbelief. "You forgot about that? He left one  
night, with a note that said something about him  
being a burden on us. I wish he'd stayed though,  
he was good help, worked cheap too."  
  
Ranma simply stared at her for a moment with  
his jaw hanging down. "What?"  
  
"What's with you?" asked Ukyo in confusion.  
"Is something wrong?" Worry etched onto her face  
once again and she frowned.  
  
"I...What the hell is going on here?" he cried  
as he backed into the wall and simply stood there  
clutching his chest.  
  
"Ranma?" said Miyaka through her full mouth.  
She had helped herself to his plate of food after  
he'd not shown any interest in it.  
  
"What the hell? This is wrong!"  
  
"Wrong?" muttered Ukyo dumbly. "What the hell  
are you on about? This girl is right, you are  
acting weird Ranma."  
  
"This has got to be some kind of trick! I know  
it!" cried the boy as he crouched low and glanced  
around.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" muttered Ukyo as she  
tried to approach him carefully.  
  
"Miyaka," said the boy as he turned to look at  
her. "Come on, we've got to find that ghoul and  
find out what's wrong."  
  
"What ghoul?" replied Ukyo dumbly.  
  
Ranma grabbed Miyaka's wrist and dashed out  
the door.  
  
"Ranma!" cried the Ukyo as she rushed out  
after him. "What? Where are you going? What's  
wrong with you?" A cold fear started to form in  
her chest as she watched him dash away across the  
rooftops. There was no way she could follow him at  
the speed he was moving.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
"It's not here?" said Ranma dumbly as he  
stared at the building in shock. The Cat Cafe, did  
not exist. "Oh man!"  
  
Miyaka was getting scared, the boy was  
dragging her all over town, and she couldn't run  
away from him. He was acting erratic, but he was  
her only way home at the moment. "Ranma! Stop!  
You're scaring me!"  
  
"You're scared?" he replied as he landed and  
set her down. He backed away and leaned against a  
nearby wall. "What happened? This isn't the way I  
left this place! Everything has changed!"  
  
Miyaka simply looked at him in confusion.  
"What do you mean changed?"  
  
"Everything is different! I never married  
Ukyo! The Tendo dojo is gone! What the hell  
happened?"  
  
Miyaka frowned and hung her head. "I don't  
know. I'm scared, I wanna go home."  
  
Ranma winced as she started to cry softly. She  
slumped down and clutched herself. He sighed and  
stood up. "Look, I'm sorry. I forget that girls  
cry over stupid stuff sometimes."  
  
"Stupid? You kidnapped me!" she snapped as she  
glared at him.  
  
"Hey! I saved you! Of all the ungrateful  
little..."  
  
"I could be home by now if I'd stayed!"  
snapped the girl.  
  
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"  
  
The pair turned their heads in unison, only to  
find a boy glaring at them from the other side of  
the alley.  
  
"Ryoga?" said the pigtailed boy.  
  
The lost boy stalked forward, growling angrily  
as he approached them. "You..."  
  
"What is it?" snapped Ranma irritably.  
  
"You've got to save me!" cried Ryoga as he  
fell on his knees and clutched at Ranma's leg.  
  
"Huh?" said the boy in confusion. "What the  
hell?"  
  
"She's after me again! I can't escape!"  
  
"Who's this?" asked Miyaka.  
  
"Um, Ryoga Hibiki, I think," said the  
pigtailed boy as he looked down at the figure  
clutching his leg.  
  
"Damn it! This is all your fault!" cried Ryoga  
fearfully as he lifted up the boy by his collar.  
"Come on Ranma! Hide me! I'm begging you!"  
  
The boy glared down at Ryoga. He was being  
pushed up the side of the wall rather roughly.  
"You call this begging?"  
  
"Here they come!" said the boy pathetically as  
he looked down the alley.  
  
"Ryoga! Come back!" cried a feminine voice at  
the end of the ally.  
  
Ranma looked up again and blinked. "Akari?"  
  
The girl was sitting atop her giant sumo pig  
as she cheerfully rode up to them. "Well, hello  
Ranma. How are you?"  
  
"Um, things have been weird," replied the boy.  
  
"Oh really? I'm fine too," squealed the girl  
happily.  
  
"We gotta get outta here!" cried Ryoga as he  
pulled Ranma away by his collar.  
  
"Hey! Watch it porky!" cried Ranma as he found  
himself being dragged down the street by his  
shirt.  
  
Miyaka blinked and looked on as the pair  
rushed away. "Hey! You can't leave me here!"  
  
"Oh dear, who are you? You aren't after my  
Ryoga are you?" asked the girl sitting on top of  
the giant pig.  
  
"No, I'm here with Ranma, are you an Oni?"  
  
"No," said Akari cheerfully. "Hop on, I'll  
give you a ride. Ryoga won't escape me this time."  
  
"Okay," said the girl as she shrugged and  
grasped the extended arm offered to her.  
  
A moment later, they were dashing off on top  
of Katsunishi's back.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
"Damn you! This is all your fault Ranma!"  
screamed Ryoga as he hid in the bushes and glanced  
around nervously.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped  
the pigtailed boy.  
  
"It's all because of my stupid curse that  
Akari is after me!" snapped Ryoga hatefully.  
  
"What the heck has that got to do with me?"  
snorted Ranma irritably.  
  
"You shut up! If you hadn't knocked me off  
that cliff I'd..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," muttered the pigtailed boy  
irritably.  
  
"Shut up!" snapped Ryoga. "Who the hell are  
you calling 'porky' anyway?!" He bopped his hated  
rival on his head.  
  
"Jeez Ryoga, I know you can hit harder than  
that," muttered Ranma as he rubbed the spot in  
irritation.  
  
"Damn that thing's sense of smell! When I get  
my hands on it, I'll make sausage out of it!"  
snarled Ryoga as he shifted a little further into  
the bushes.  
  
"Whatever, why'd you have to drag me along  
with ya? I was fine on my own," snorted Ranma.  
  
"Are you nuts? That crazy chick is still  
trying to kill you!" snapped Ryoga.  
  
"Kill me? What for?" said Ranma dumbly. He  
thought really hard, and couldn't think of a  
single instance where Akari would ever be that  
angry with him.  
  
"Dope! Have you forgotten about that already?"  
snarled Ryoga as he shook his rival by his collar.  
  
"Yeah, kinda," muttered Ranma irritably. This  
new Nerima was quickly getting old.  
  
"She's still peeved about the time you beat  
her pig. You were already married, and she thought  
I was the one destined to do it because of this  
stupid curse! Now she's trying to get me to fight  
that monster, and she's trying to kill you so her  
grandfather will accept me!"  
  
"Oh," said Ranma flatly.  
  
"We should get moving, it won't take that damn  
thing long to find us," snarled Ryoga.  
  
"Yeah, I guess...Miyaka!" Ranma's eyes went  
wide suddenly. "No!"  
  
"Huh?" said Ryoga in confusion.  
  
"You jerk! You made me leave Miyaka behind!  
Now I have to get her back!"  
  
"Are you nuts? You'll die!" cried Ryoga.  
  
"What are you talking about? She didn't seem  
mad at me," replied the pigtailed boy with a  
shrug.  
  
"Oh man," grumbled Ryoga as he hung his head.  
"We'll get that girl back later! Come on!"  
  
"When did you turn into such a coward P-chan?"  
snorted Ranma.  
  
"What? Who the hell is P-chan?" said Ryoga in  
confusion.  
  
Ranma's eyes darkened and he glared at the boy  
for a moment. "You too huh?"  
  
"What are you talking about? You're acting  
nuts!" snapped Ryoga.  
  
"I thought you didn't like me, why did you  
save me anyway?"  
  
"And leave me alone to deal with her? Ha! I  
wouldn't be so kind Saotome! There's no way I'm  
gonna let you die and clear the way for her stupid  
engagement!"  
  
Ranma sighed and shook his head. "Fine,  
whatever."  
  
++++++++++  
  
Akari growled as she stared down at the  
unflinching Ukyo Kuonji in the middle of the  
street.  
  
"Well, if it isn't the farm girl," said Ukyo  
with a smirk forming on her face.  
  
"What do you want?" snarled Akari.  
  
"I want you to leave my Ranchan alone,"  
snorted the girl calmly.  
  
"Hi! Hi Miss Ukyo!" said Miyaka from behind  
Akari's back.  
  
"What the? What the heck are you doing up  
there?" said Ukyo in shock.  
  
"She said she'd take me to Ranma, some guy ran  
off with him," said the girl with a small shrug as  
she jumped down off the animal's back.  
  
"Ryoga," snorted Ukyo in disgust.  
  
"How dare you speak about my Ryoga that way!"  
cried Akari.  
  
"What are you gonna do about it? Kill me?"  
said Ukyo calmly as she leveled a glare at the  
girl. "I'm sure that would make your grandfather  
so happy. What, with you being able to marry my  
widowed husband and all. That is what you're  
really supposed to be doing isn't it?"  
  
Akari growled at this, but held back  
Katsunishi. "Bitch."  
  
"Eep," muttered Miyaka as she backed away.  
  
"She won't attack me," said Ukyo without  
taking her eyes away from Akari. "She needs me to  
stay alive in order for her plan to work out."  
  
Akari turned her head away and blushed. "I've  
got no business here."  
  
"Then leave, chase your boyfriend some other  
night," responded Ukyo flatly.  
  
Akari snorted, and her pig followed suit. The  
pair turned away and wandered off into the night.  
  
"Is it all right if I wait for Ranma here?"  
asked Miaka sheepishly.  
  
"I guess so," replied Ukyo with a small sigh.  
"Where is Ranma anyway?"  
  
"I don't know, some guy took him away,"  
replied the girl with a shrug.  
  
"Oh, right. I remember now. Ryoga," said Ukyo  
with a small nod. "I hope Ranchan's all right.  
He's been acting strangely since he showed up with  
you."  
  
The girl shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I  
haven't known him that long. Only a few hours  
really."  
  
"Right," grumbled Ukyo as she motioned for the  
girl to follow her.  
  
++++++++++++  
  
An hour later...  
  
"Damn it Ryoga! This is where we started!"  
cried Ranma as he found himself staring at the  
Ucchan.  
  
"What? Oh, you're home," said Ryoga as he  
noticed the store. "Great."  
  
"We're still not any closer to finding  
Miyaka!"  
  
"Then who's that?" asked Ryoga as he pointed  
to the girl standing in the doorway with her arms  
crossed over her shoulders. Ukyo was right behind  
her, mirroring the expression.  
  
"Oh man," grumbled Ranma.  
  
"Well, I'll see you later," said Ryoga as he  
turned away.  
  
"No way! You're not leaving me to face this  
alone porky! This is all your fault this time!"  
snapped Ranma as he pulled the boy behind him by  
his collar.  
  
+++++++++++++  
  
Ranma hung his head as the two girls stared at  
him. "I can't believe you left me!" cried Miyaka.  
  
"I couldn't do anything about it!" snapped  
Ranma in retort. "He dragged me off!"  
  
"Hey!" snapped Ryoga.  
  
"How could you just leave her there with that  
woman?" snapped Ukyo irritably as she glared at  
Ryoga.  
  
"I didn't know she was with him!" muttered  
Ryoga sheepishly. He had the sense to look  
apologetic and embarrassed about it.  
  
"Now, Ranchan, you're going to tell me exactly  
what's going on!" snapped Ukyo as she glared at  
him for a moment.  
  
"The ghoul ain't here," said the boy as he  
looked at Miyaka.  
  
The girl nodded and frowned. "Are you sure  
you're home?"  
  
"No, I'm not," said Ranma as he shook his head  
and sighed.  
  
"What are you talking about?" said Ryoga as he  
frowned at the boy.  
  
"I'm from the past," said Miyaka as she  
pointed at herself. "He says he used some sort of  
magic mirror to go back in time. He saved me, and  
we ended up here. He says it's different here."  
  
Ryoga and Ukyo turned to look at the pigtailed  
boy for a moment and he frowned at Miyaka.  
  
"Different?" asked Ukyo.  
  
"Yeah," said Ranma with a small sigh.  
"Everything's changed. I ain't sure what happened.  
Maybe I'm on a different world or somethin? This  
ain't what I left behind."  
  
Ryoga frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Ranma put the bag containing several broken  
pieces of mirror on the table and carefully laid  
them out. "This thing took me back in time. The  
old freak used it and sent us back in time. When I  
got back, everything was different. Maybe because  
it broke?"  
  
"Different?" muttered Ryoga.  
  
"Yeah, you actually like Akari where I come  
from, and I ain't married to Ucchan!" said the boy  
as he looked at them.  
  
"What?" muttered Ukyo as she suddenly went  
pale.  
  
"Me? Like that witch? No way!" snapped Ryoga.  
  
"There's all sorts of different things though,  
the Tendo dojo ain't there anymore. That's where I  
was stayin," said Ranma as he glared down at the  
mirror. "Me and pop lived there with that family."  
  
Ukyo frowned at this. "Why?"  
  
"Some kind of engagement. To this crazy uncute  
tomboy named Akane," said the boy with a small  
sigh.  
  
"You were engaged to someone else?" asked the  
girl with a short intake of breath.  
  
"Yeah, sorry," said the boy as he hung his  
head.  
  
"Then, where is our Ranma?" asked Ryoga.  
  
Ranma and Ukyo looked at him in surprise. It  
was probably the most intelligent thing he'd ever  
said around either of them.  
  
"Maybe you got switched, when the mirror  
broke?" offered Miyaka.  
  
"Happosai had this?" Muttered Ukyo as she  
glared at it. "Wait! I remember this thing!"  
  
Ranma looked at her in surprise. "Huh?"  
  
"It was after your father brought us back from  
China! Happosai had this!"  
  
Ranma frowned again. "Yeah, I know. This guy  
showed up and killed the old freak. When he died,  
he sent me back to meet Miyaka here. It was sort  
of an accident."  
  
"When we came back, the mirror broke. Maybe  
the same thing happened to your Ranma, and we got  
mixed up somehow?" offered Miyaka with a slight  
frown. She had started to suspect that she was the  
smartest person in the room right now.  
  
"Ya know, that makes sense. So, if we get it  
fixed, maybe we can use it to switch back?" asked  
Ranma.  
  
"Might work," agreed Ryoga. "How do we fix  
this thing?"  
  
"I dunno, Cologne's place is gone, she'd know  
how, but..."  
  
"Cologne?" asked Ukyo.  
  
"Yeah, she's some old chick from this crazy  
man hater tribe in China that I know," said the  
boy as he looked at Ukyo for a moment.  
  
"Amazons?" Ukyo said the word like it was a  
curse.  
  
"Yeah? I didn't think they were around here!  
Where are they? Cologne will know what to do!"  
  
Ukyo blushed and turned her head away, a look  
of pain flashed across her face as she clutched  
her belly for a moment. "There aren't any Amazons  
around here. We only knew one, and she's dead."  
  
Ranma stared at her for a moment. "Huh?"  
  
"Shampoo, our Ranma killed her when she was  
trying to kill me back in China. He did it to  
protect me, we almost didn't make it back home."  
  
The boy stared at her for a moment and his jaw  
simply hung. "What?"  
  
"I haven't heard about this," said Ryoga as he  
uncrossed his arms with a surprised looking frown.  
  
"It wasn't any of your business. He was  
protecting me, and the girl was using all kinds of  
nasty weapons. It was an accident, but that  
doesn't change things."  
  
"So, they'll still be in China then?" asked  
Miyaka.  
  
"Probably, I don't think it would be a good  
idea to go looking for them," said Ukyo.  
  
"Shampoo isn't dead where I come from," said  
Ranma quietly. "I...he killed her?"  
  
"Yes," said Ukyo with a slight shiver. "I  
don't think he ever forgave himself for doing it  
either."  
  
"Man, this place is even more messed up than  
my life was!" said Ranma in awe. "I gotta find a  
way to fix this thing."  
  
"What about the old freak?" asked Ryoga. "He  
might know a way!"  
  
"He's dead," said a chillingly familiar voice  
in the room.  
  
"You!" cried Ranma as he jumped to his feet  
and put himself in front of Miyaka.  
  
"Yes, me," replied Chronos as he glared at  
them all from the doorway.  
  
"You! You caused this!" snarled Ranma.  
  
"Ha! I did nothing, it was you who did this!  
Foolish boy, don't you realize you're home?"  
  
"What?" snapped Ranma angrily. Chronos had  
made no move towards them, and he now had Ukyo and  
Ryoga backing him up.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" snarled Ryoga.  
  
"Yeah! Get the hell out!" snapped Ukyo.  
  
"I am Chronos, and I'm afraid I cannot leave  
just yet. I will not attack you tonight Ranma  
Saotome, for you have much to think about."  
  
"What?" said the pigtailed boy in shock.  
  
Chronos chuckled again. "Don't you realize  
what has happened yet?"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" snapped  
Ranma.  
  
"Calm down, and I'll tell you," said Chronos.  
  
Ryoga and Ukyo started to drop their guards.  
  
"Don't! If you drop your guard, he'll kill  
you!" hissed Ranma.  
  
"No, I'm only interested in killing her.  
She'll die like she was supposed to." Chronos  
pointed at the cowering Miyaka and chuckled again.  
  
"You won't lay a hand on her bastard!" snarled  
Ranma.  
  
"Even if killing her will bring everything  
back? Make everything right again?"  
  
"What do you mean?" gasped Miyaka weakly. She  
clutched at Ranma's back fearfully.  
  
"Foolish boy, this is your world. There is no  
other Ranma running around. You changed the past,  
and now, this is the future."  
  
"Changed the past?" gasped Ranma in shock.  
  
"The reason there is no Tendo dojo is simple,  
because she's still alive," said the man as he  
pointed at Miyaka. "She was supposed to die, now  
she lives, and everything is changed."  
  
"What?" gasped Ranma in shock.  
  
"It's quite simple really, the tiny change  
will ripple out across time, becoming larger and  
larger until the outcome is completely different.  
When you saved her...you changed everything. Now,  
this is the future. Everything you knew and loved  
has been wiped from existence by your own foolish  
action. I had hoped to save you from this fate,  
and take the mirror from you. Now, you'll just  
have to live with it."  
  
"Bastard!" snarled Ryoga angrily. "You're not  
making any sense!"  
  
"Miyaka shouldn't have survived. It could be  
something as simple as her bumping into someone at  
the wrong time, preventing a fateful meeting of  
the Tendo family's ancestors, or even falling in  
love with the wrong man. It might not even be her,  
but one of her descendants that are at fault. No  
matter how you look at it, because she survived,  
all you know was destroyed."  
  
Ranma gasped in shock. "You're lying!"  
  
Chronos laughed again, rearing his head back.  
He slowly reached up and pulled the mask away from  
his face. "Am I?"  
  
Ranma's jaw dropped. He simply stared at the  
face looking back at him with cold blue eyes. "No!  
It can't be!"  
  
"I tried to live this life, tried to go on, to  
strive through it all. Forget about it for her  
sake..." He turned to look at Miyaka and sighed.  
"I tried to forget, but Akane wouldn't let me. Her  
death, no the end of her very existence was on my  
hands. I could not live with that fact."  
  
Ranma fell to his knees, his jaw hanging down  
in shock. He was looking at himself, a few years  
older, but there was no mistaking it.  
  
Chronos smile faded away slightly. "I tried so  
many different paths, so many ways to save her and  
keep things as they were. It never worked, now, I  
have to kill her. I had merely wanted to stop you  
from saving her, keeping us both from this pain.  
Now, I cannot bear it any longer."  
  
"No! No! It isn't true! I won't believe it!"  
snapped Ranma angrily.  
  
"All paths lead to me Ranma," said Chronos  
calmly. "All of them, I've been down a thousand  
different paths, and all of them lead back to me."  
  
"I'll find a way!" snarled Ranma hatefully.  
"You keep your hands off her!"  
  
"You're going to have to stop me then," said  
Chronos coldly. "But not tonight. We'll meet again  
in China, and next time, I will not stop until I  
have accomplished my task." He narrowed his eyes  
at the group and chuckled.  
  
"What's going on?" cried Ryoga dumbly.  
  
"Ranchan?" muttered Ukyo in horror.  
  
Chronos turned away and vanished into the  
night.  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Miyaka.  
  
"We've got no choice, we have to go to China,"  
said Ranma as he hung his head.  
  
Ukyo frowned. "But, he'll be waiting for you."  
  
"Without the me, he doesn't exist," said Ranma  
as he turned to look at the girl for a moment.  
  
"If what he's saying is true," said Ukyo  
firmly.  
  
"We need that mirror, if only to get me home,"  
said Miyaka.  
  
"You'll need that mirror to become him,"  
countered Ukyo.  
  
Ranma was torn, he glanced back and fourth  
between the pair and hung his head. "I promised to  
take her home. I'm going."  
  
Ryoga growled at this and glared at Ranma for  
a moment. "I'm going with you!"  
  
"What?" said Ranma dumbly.  
  
"There's no way I'm gonna let you go to China  
and get cured without me!" snapped Ryoga.  
  
"Cured?" said Miyaka in confusion.  
  
"This isn't about that!" snapped Ranma  
angrily.  
  
"The hell! You're just trying to trick me! So  
you can keep the cure all to yourself!" snapped  
Ryoga.  
  
Ukyo frowned at the display and turned away.  
"You're not my Ranchan."  
  
The pigtailed boy looked at her, his attention  
away from Ryoga in an instant. "What?"  
  
"I don't know who you are, all this is  
just..." She turned to look at them again and  
frowned. "You're not my Ranchan, I don't know who  
you are. You can stay the night, but I want you  
gone in the morning."  
  
The boy stepped back in shock and stared at  
her. "I..."  
  
"Don't apologize, I want my Ranma back, and  
the only way that's going to happen, is if you do  
this. I just hope that man was wrong, and my  
Ranchan will come back if you win."  
  
The pigtailed boy frowned at this and hung his  
head. "All right. Thank you Ucchan."  
  
The girl gave him a tight smile and turned  
away, slowly walking up the stairs. She turned to  
look back at them, tears forming in her eyes.  
"There should be a few spare futon in the supply  
closet." With that said, she continued on her way  
up the stairs.  
  
"Come on, we need some sleep," said Ryoga  
irritably. "Maybe if I go to China, and get cured,  
that crazy chick will lay off me."  
  
Ranma sighed and sat down at one of the  
stools. "Go ahead, I don't think I'll be able to  
get much sleep tonight."  
  
Miyaka looked very uncomfortable with the  
situation, and quietly walked off to find the  
supply closet.  
  
"Damn," muttered Ranma to himself as he stared  
at the wall. "This is...this is just..." He  
couldn't think of a single word to describe it.  
  
He paused and thought about his situation for  
a moment and frowned. "Maybe I'll be able to find  
another way to fix that mirror? If I go to China  
like that guy says...he'll be waiting. What if I  
do something he's not expecting?" He mulled over  
the problem and turned to look at Ryoga again for  
a moment. "Maybe, just maybe I can make this  
work."  
  
The lost boy stared back at him, resting  
against one of the booths that lined the walls for  
a moment. "Humph."  
  
"There's no way. No way I'd ever become that  
bastard! There has to be a way!"  
  
++++++++++++  
  
TBC...  
  
Next Time: A slim chance!  



End file.
